(JollofNews) – A Ghanaian man is leading a campaign to bring The Gambia’s ex-ruler Yahya Jammeh to justice over the murder of 56 migrants who were mistaken for coup plotters, writes the BBC’s Alex Duval Smith.
Martin Kyere leapt from the pick-up truck into the darkness. Bullets whistled around him as he ran for his life through the thick Gambian forest. He fell. He picked himself up. He dodged the soldiers’ searchlight. He promised himself not to rest until Mr Jammeh was brought to justice.
Thirteen years later and living in his native Ghana, Mr Kyere is the key witness in an international effort to bring The Gambia’s former president to trial for what was probably the single largest mass killing during the 22-year reign of terror.
Meanwhile, Mr Jammeh has lived in Equatorial Guinea since January 2017. He went into exile there under a regionally-brokered deal after losing the December 2016 presidential election to Adama Barrow.
Travelling to Europe
Mr Kyere is the only known survivor out of 56 West Africans – most of them Ghanaian and Nigerian – who were murdered in The Gambia on or around 22 July 2005.
”It is my mission, on behalf of my friends, we want justice,” Mr Kyere, now aged 37, told the BBC in his home town in central Ghana.
In 2005, Mr Kyere, by selling shoes in Ghana and Ivory Coast, had saved up money to travel to Senegal and onwards to Europe.
He boarded a pirogue in Senegal’s capital Dakar. It ran out of fuel and came ashore in The Gambia. The travellers were arrested, detained for a week in The Gambia’s capital Banjul, and beaten.
”When we asked the police officers why we were there, they just said the orders came from above. For a long time we thought we would just be deported.”
But the migrants were handed over to ”the junglers” – paramilitaries whose torture and killings had helped keep Mr Jammeh in power since he grabbed it on 22 July 1994.
Some people believe that in the run-up to the 22 July ”revolution” commemorations, the migrants were thought by the paranoid regime to be mercenaries, acting on behalf of coup plotters.
US lawyer Reed Brody
Mr Kyere recounts their final journey in meticulous detail: ”Eight of us were loaded into the pick-up. They used one rope to tie four people, each with his hands on his back.
”A Nigerian who was a Muslim, began to pray “Allahu Akbar” (God is greatest). This annoyed them. They sliced his back with a cutlass. He never raised his head again.
”The pick-up drove deeper and deeper into the forest. One of us complained of pain in his arm. A soldier slashed his other arm with the cutlass and said ‘which is more painful?’ Now the pick-up was full of blood. We all knew we were going to die and we tried to release ourselves.”
Mr Kyere succeeded: ”The others said ‘go and tell the world what Jammeh has done to us’. I jumped from the pick-up and I heard a voice – ‘who is that?’ – but I did not look back. I was running. The bullets passed over me.
”I heard the screams in Twi, ”awu rade gye yen” (Oh God save us), and the gunshots followed – so I realised the guys had been killed.”
Mr Kyere staggered through the forest. He hid from people for fear of being re-arrested.
After several days, he asked for help in a village. He was shown the way to the Senegalese border.
Yahya Jammeh: At a glance
Born in May 1965
Seized power in a coup in 1994
Claimed in 2007 he could cure Aids and infertility with herbal concoctions
Warned in 2008 that gay people would be beheaded
Vowed in 2013 to stay in power for “a billion years” if God wills
Defeated in presidential election in 2016
Forced into exile in 2017
Mr Kyere eventually travelled back to Ghana, sought help from the authorities and set about travelling, with few means, hundreds of kilometres around his country to track down the relatives of his lost comrades. He has found 25 families so far, including that of Peter Mensah who left behind his wife and three children.
If Mr Jammeh is to be tried, lawyers will have to win his extradition from Equatorial Guinea.
- ‘Rogue elements’
Reed Brody, legal counsel for campaign group Human Rights Watch, which is supporting Mr Kyere’s campaign along with Trial International, says Ghana would be an ideal country for the trial because it has a strong justice system and provisions to prosecute people for the ”enforced disappearance” of Ghanaian citizens anywhere in the world.
”We are presenting evidence that approximately 44 Ghanaian citizens were killed by a death squad that took its orders from Jammeh,” said the US lawyer.
”The only previous official investigation concluded that the migrants were probably killed by ‘rogue elements’ acting on their own.
“Since the fall of Mr Jammeh, we have been able to interview 30 former officials, 11 of whom were directly involved, and it is clear that the migrants were not killed by rogue elements but by the ‘junglers’ who took their orders directly from Jammeh.”
However, a 2009 joint investigation by the United Nations and the West African regional group, the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas), concluded that Mr Jammeh and his government were not to blame for ordering the killings and that “rogue elements” in the security services were responsible.
The Gambia returned eight bodies, and paid $500,000 (£420,000) to cover burial costs. The remaining bodies have never been found.
Mr Brody advised victims of former Chadian ruler Hissene Habre, who is a serving a life sentence in Senegal for atrocities committed during his eight-year rule. He is determined to ensure that Mr Jammeh also stands trial.
Mr Brody says if Mr Kyere’s case is heard in Ghana this would embolden a nascent campaign for justice by more than 1,000 of the Jammeh regime’s victims in The Gambia.
But he cautions that ”the legal and security conditions do not exist” for a trial in The Gambia at the moment.
Mr Kyere is a gentle-mannered, outwardly unassuming man, who still sells shoes. But when he opens his mouth to speak, his voice is like a thunder box for justice.
He does not feel guilt for being the only known survivor.
”I am alive for a reason and that reason is to obtain justice – to know one day why Yahya Jammeh grabbed us and decided to kill us in an unlawful way.”
Eleven of them were buried at the old Jeshwang Muslim cemetery under orders from yaya Jammed. There bodies are still there. .
Please Contact the authorities in the gambia to identify the location of the deads location. This is a very big disgrace for our country
A disgrace? I hope you realise that jammeh had brought us to the brink of calamity!! Disgrace is a gift in our case!
Identify the dead location
No doubt some APRC supporters the likes of Babu Soli will be telling us its all a pack of lies and baseless accusations. Yaya was a paranoid tyrant who wants to destroy anything he perceives as a threat to his leadership. I hope one day he will have his day in court to answer to numerous allegations he committed during his reign. Time is the master.
Jollofnews,
This tabloid has always been very subjective, bias to all that mentions the GOOD of President Jammeh and the APRC. We fully know your bias stands/opinions like the other Mandinka tabloids; KIBARO and KAIRO. You can fully echo the sentiments of a Ghanaian in capital letters but can never say a word about the good attained by the APRC under President Jammeh. What a hypocrite!
It is disgraceful that you also echo the efforts of the USA Lawyer Mr Brody, a citizen of the world’s most brutal country on earth. A country, the USA, that relies on vesting absolute and supremacist power by castigating the weak, the poor and the innocent just on the dent of her power. You should have asked Mr Brody to bring Ex-President George W. Bush and Ex-British Prime Minister Tony Blair to justice for waging war on LIES on the Iraqi people, thereby turning that corner of the earth into mayhem.
Which justice can you refer to in Ghana, a country that is still destitute in poverty and corruption?
But, yes, it’s the Jollofnews tabloid, that Gambian hypocrite on-line information outlet that would work to vilify the best ever Gambian leader, President Jammeh, Babili Mansa.
Babu, unfortunately the FACTS are that Babili Mansa BUTCHERED his fellow Gambians and other Africans – and RANSACKED Gambia’s Central Bank.
The Gambian electorates had finally given the kiss of death to the APRC as a political force and the Babu Solis with their brand of see, hear or witness no wrongdoings on the part of Jammeh got a knock out blow, a rudder awakening to the maxim of ”TRUTH ALWAYS PREVAILS OVER FALSEHOOD”
Luntango,
Do and say the same to Barrow as you did to Jammeh and see what will befall you. Since he came to power, President Jammeh came under a Mandinka vendetta that flared into brutal insults on him and family, coups and attempted perpetrated Mandinka coups, instigated by those CORRUPT and TRIBALIST cliques he flushed out of power.
You will be BUTCHERED by any power that be when you deliberately go against the laws. Try it in the USA and UK and see how they will get the hell out of you. That’s how the world is ruled.
But Soli, Barrow is not detaining ANYONE beyond 72 hours without appearing in court; Barrow is not disappearing anyone; and Barrow is NOT killing anyone. If Barrow did any of that I would certainly criticise him as I did Jammeh. Your justification for Jammeh doing all those bad things was that “Jammeh was attacked”! But Barrow has been attacked from Day 1, by the likes of Pa Nderry Mbai and Madi Jobarteh … yet Barrow’s Minister of Information has WELCOMED the criticism and gives regular interviews to Pa Nderry Mbai. I rest my case.
As I said once yaya Jammeh was killing people’s unlawfully he will never retired in peace, he’s haunted by justice.
BABU SOLO,
Those who have good political analytic prowess know that the APRC is a force to reckon with. With the thousands of votes that the party has collected in a few polling districts, coming second in overall gains, with total and absolute control in the Fonis, this party will soon take over when the Gambian people start to turn against the CORRUPT, TRIBALIST, INEFFICIENT and SELFISH UDP administration. It is matter of time. There is no hurry. Only the vigour, determination and sincerity of the party’s executive and supporters are needed.
Babu Soli don’t you have any human feeling in you,the way you behave is not gambian beliehi
They were buried close to the perimeter fence near the Jeshwang side. Those who buried them are still there digging graves under the employment of BCC. Imam FATTY knows something about this. He was the one performing prayers for those killed by Jammeh’s jugulars before they were buried including newly born babies snatched from the hospital.
Luntango, Jollofnews 16th May 2018
You see how you can easily forget or deliberately forget. What happened to the Kombo Jambur mother of 5 kids who was detained beyond the 72-hour limit by a Fula magistrate at the Brikama courts for saying insulting statements at Barrow? She was only released upon public outcry after suffering days in the nasty police custody in Brikama. What happened to the Rasta boy from Kombo Brikama who sent an audio stating that the Gambia HAS NOT DECIDED but HAS REGRETTED? He was detained beyond the 72-hour limit without charges.
What happened to the 9 former NIA officers who were abruptly arrested by Mai Fatty on return from Dakar and only charged after months in custody?
What is happening to the Jola military officials who are still held on charges of suspicion? They were held for months without charges on suspicion that they were plotting against the CORRUPT, TRIBALIST, INCOMPETENT and USELESS Barrow administration.
What information have you gathered about the investigations (if at all any) about the APRC beatings, injuries in Mankamang Kunda and Busumbala? And until recently after the Mayoral/Chairmanship election results were read on Saturday 12th May? Didn’t Ousainou Darboe give credit to the UDP onslaught on the FaBakary Tombong Jatta compound where APRC militants were gathered? Where are your democratic literacy and democratic dispensation?
Come on Luntango, Barrow has never been branded a BASTARD, an ILL-GOTTEN child by Pa Nderry and Madi Jobarteh. Barrow’s mother has never been branded a prostitute by Pa Nderry. Barrow’s wife has never been branded a gold digger, a lady who sleeps with other men by Pa Nderry. Both Pa Nderry and Madi Jobarteh have never INSULTED Barrow as they did with President Jammeh. We have the records!
Indeed, Barrow’s Minister of Information will welcome criticisms. But what calibre of criticisms? They are not INSULTS, are they? When it got tough in the Fatou GRTS programme, that put Ousainou Darboe in the hot soup, the programme was immediately squashed off. It was against all sensibilities of the UNDEMOCRATIC Barrow administration that talks much about “transparency”.
@Babu Soli: ” We have the records!” Hmmmmm| That’s telling.
Baba,
I don’t respond to people who think they have better feelings than others without taking the past into consideration.
What is your human feeling, if at all you have any human feeling, about the over 800 Gambian civilians; women, men and children who were massacred by the invading foreign Senegalese mercenary forces in 1981 at the command of Ex-President Sir Dawda Jawara, BB Darboe, Omar Jallow(OJ), Ex-President Abdou Diouf, Saihou Sabally…..?
The one man lunatic band called Babu Soli or Sidi Bojang. You will be summoned to the ICC to appear with criminal Jammeh. You have no idea what happened in 1981, otherwise you will not be comparing that epoch to Jammeh’s tyrannic madness.
Look babu Soli can you tell Why should jammeh kill people, Why i hate yaya jammeh because of his killings and misapropiation of our state Resources, at times i do assume that you have a Brain of an ostreick very Low Thinking
For me parties are a means to make our country better. Hence irrespective of party loyalty, there are facts we all need to agree to. One of these facts is that Jammeh presided over extrajudicial killings of gambians and non Gambians alike during his reign. This terrible legacy is the definitive legacy he has left behind – just like ” Ivan the terrible “. No amount of infrastructure development can vindicate jammeh.
And as the result of Bakary Badgie showed, the tribalism that Jammeh sowed and nurtured will be an enduring presence in Gambian politics for the foreseeable future. Babu soli, with all your enthusiasm about an APRC come back, i hope you take a time to reflect on that and try to understand the consequences of jammeh’s actions- and words.
100% Kemo. As I said earlier above “Babu, unfortunately the FACTS are that Babili Mansa BUTCHERED his fellow Gambians and other Africans – and RANSACKED Gambia’s Central Bank.” And as you say Kemo “No amount of infrastructure development” can wash his bloody hands: he is indeed Gambia’s Ivan The Terrible.
On the APRC as a party (without Jammeh) if the votes in KMC and previously in the Fonis are anything to go by, it represents a sizable chunk of The Gambia’s CITIZENS who have their rights too. Bereaved by loss of power they have taken comfort in the APRC, and as Lawyer Darboe himself has CHAMPIONED their rights within the law we too must respect their rights. Madi Jobarteh’s rants about “banning” the APRC has rightly been ignored and that is as it should be. As with UDP Bensouda’s PLEDGE, the way forward is to work with all Gambians, more so the sizeable number represented by the APRC to develop KMC and the Gambia (and above all to preserve the nations CHERISHED PEACE.
I am sure Yahya Jammeh is being increasingly isolated and dislocated from his cash sources. Today one of his business associates Muhammed Bazzi was designated a terror financier by the US Department of Treasury section OFAC. What does this mean. No cash for Jammeh. Conventional wisdom is that he is expected to risk a home return in the near future than face ignominy and poverty. His day in his 5 star hotel – Mile 2 is fast approaching.
APRC is a one man’s party, which is yaya Jammeh. This party were heavily depending on one guy who financed them and turns many of their members more lazy secondly party is not having a prominent figure, a sounded political person, the honest part is the party’s brains is yaya Jammeh, hoping that he might one day be back to Gambia and rule again so that those lazy folks can bounce back to their unworthy lifestyle.
Dr Sarr, Bax, Tafel, Babu SOLO, Alex, Baba, Janjani, Kinteh(Kemo),
May I ask you all to take time and breadth to read this posting from one of the most recognized bloggers.
Gambia: The Gambia Aren’t We Building The 3rd State-Party?
May 17, 2018 442
The Gambia Aren’t We Building The 3rd State-Party?
History says – YES!
People’s Progressive Party (PPP) was our 1st Sate-Party. The party was synonymous to the state. The party uses the state resources to cultivate her support. That supposed support legitimizes their hang on to power for over 30 years. They literally lived on public resources both directly and indirectly. One has to show association to PPP to get a job, nominated/selected for government distributed scholarships, be in the inner circle to be pick for scholarships to UK, USA and/or other EU counties. The kids of the unconnected and people of country can best get Fourah Bay College in Sierra, colleges in Nigeria and East Asian nations. Members of the inner circle and their relations/friends such as Sekou Sabally, walked-free with provable economic crimes, instead promoted to the Vice presidency. Public servants used their offices to do PPP work. There was no effective political opposition to PPP rule. Except PDOIS and NLP (maybe other less known), the then opposition parties were stripped-out-of the so-called PPP ‘OUZUZOU’. Sheriff Sekouba Ceesay was the 1st (or the earliest) to launch a short-lived opposition to PPP before he returns to serve them as one of their best Finance and Economic Affairs Minister. National Convention Party (NCP) was the larger and long-lived opposition parties and his leader was one-time Vice President with the PPP administration. The same is true of Late Assan Musa Camara alias Andrew Camara’s GPP. These men were neither politically nor philosophically opposition to PPP as much they simply fall out of favor. Before then, was the pre-independence political cat and mouse games. United Party (UP) was the earlier/stronger party but her colony (Banjul and kombo St. Mary’s Area) concentrated support base, although most or all the then renounced District Chiefs were for UP wasn’t a match to newly formed PPP and her protectorate concentrated support base. PPP larger rural based support torpedoed the numerous colony-based (urban) parties. Dawda K Jawara gradually instituted winner-take all political doctrine that made being in opposition hopeless and frustrating. To-date that’s the governance structure in Banjul. The numerous smaller parties fiddled out quickly while UP’s handful Parliamentarians seek survival by cross-carpeting to PPP with the exception Gibou Jagne of Serekunda West. Up until July 22, 1994, to politically survive, to flourish and to not watch your back, one has to show acceptance to PPP.
To date, over 80% of governance structure, authorities, style, processes, procedures, and laws are those of PPP. Yahya administration over the 22 years recycled many PPP tools discarded earlier with NEW NAMES and twists. In this active political volcano, there’re hardly much to better Gambian as much it is positioning one-self to be as close as possible to public resources for personal gain.
Sadly, PPP failed abysmally to prepare citizens to assumed their sovereign civic roles and duties out of fear to be challenge. Unprepared citizens couldn’t stop Armed Forces Provisional Ruling Council (AFPRC) when they showed up in 1994.
Complacency of PPP gave AFPRC the OPPORTUNITY. PPP extravaganza and arrogance were used as MOTIVE. The guns of Gambia National Army (GNA) their handy MEANS. AFPRC claimed to have come to correct the wrongs of PPP. Over time AFPRC were PPP and lot more. They controlled public resources and dishes to the favored. They controlled the local social structures that tie us to one and another. Public servants do AFPRC work with public resources. AFPRC added terror and intimidation to induce total compliance/conformity. Some were killed, others mysteriously disappeared, some prisoned, others exiled, etc. APRC was State-party # 2
Aren’t we building the 3rd State-Party in UDP? The Coalition 2016 is essentially UDP. Both NADD and this later version were attempts to minimize single-party influence in a collective effort. It didn’t work out well. Ousainou has ensured his conviction is vacated. This is a very important ruling because that means he isn’t a criminal convict/felony that may make him ineligible for future endeavors. Then he succeeded in amending the age ceiling constitutional obstacle for his age. Then at the 1st National Assembly election in April 2017 he argued vehemently for what he called Tactical Alliance. The rationale for this choice is to safe Dr. Barrow from Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC). It doesn’t make much sense but the smaller parties don’t have much to hang on to. The terms of their Coalition Agreement do not have that and even if it does, it may not hold as even the 3-year transition period is now in serious doubt. Of the 50 or so membership in the National Assembly UDP came out with 30 or so members. Besides Dr. Barrow himself is UDP by party, this was the 1st architecture of the State-party building. Since then Dr. Barrow has put up his own National Youth Group for Development. This is like Yahya’s The GREEN THUGS. That was a strange development even for some in the UDP inner circle. We will have to wait and see at the end of years 3/5 when we will be required by law to elect a new president. Will Ousainou, who is now eligible be elected/selected by UDP Congress as the party flagbearer and/or will they go with Barrow. If the former happens to be the case – what will Dr. Barrow do? Will he retire and/or form his own party. Forming a youth group suggests he’s putting up an independent structure away from UDP. The 2nd and necessary structure for a State-party in The Gambia is control of the social structure. The recent elections have hanged UDP that one too. Now what’s not very clear is how much access do they have to public resources to be use as party resources. They may not have complete control as yet but they are at a very good spot giving its only being about 1.5 years. Grants projects to The Gambia are allocated based on party and/or birth origins of the higher ups. They’ve given public jobs based on party affiliation. Public vehicles can be seen at party occasions. Public servants on public times are seen on party works. UDP may not be in complete control as yet as their predecessors but they are on fast-track. Each passing day and/or every governing structure put in place has the hallmark of the making of State-Party. SADLY ALL OF THESE HAPPENED BEFORE AND DID NOT BETTER OUR DEMOCRACY, GOVERNANCE AND/OR SOCIO-ECONOMIC PROSPERTY. This carbon-copying is seriously troubling. More concerning though we all seem to be going alone and/or keeping quiet over what gave us Yahya and his long abusive tenure. Why this?
Since Dr. Barrow was sworn-in on January 19, 2017 the government has taken 4 very notable steps and then embark on repeating everything the previous 2 governments has done.
Hare are what he did:
The courts vacate Ousainou Darboe’s criminal conviction – that prepared him for many future endeavors including the presidency which he would otherwise not qualify for.
The Supreme Court on November 23, 2017 ruled ‘The Public Order Act’ Constitutional. This lawsuit was brought up by Ousainou Darboe and Co. By that date we have a new National Assembly with 30 or so UDP Legislators. As opposed to relying on the court the best options would be to annul it by Legislative Act and/or Constitutional Reform that our struggle was about. The judgement of the Supreme Court, right or wrong, is based on their interpretation of The Constitution. They have no power to tell sovereign citizens of The Gambia and/or our Legislators what should or shouldn’t be in The Constitution. Maybe this law is now a very handy tool for this government to suppress opponents and perceived enemies so they’ve no interest to get rid of it.
Amended the prohibitive IEC election candidate nomination charges/fees to a fraction that they could afford
Amended age ceiling for the positions of President and Vice president
Besides the above the government has since used the so-called IEC to conduct both National Assembly and so-called Local government elections before reforming governance and democratic dispensation. We can all recall both Jawara and Yahya held these elections as well. Do those elections better our democracy, socio-economic prosperity and/or overall government effectiveness.
Do These Elections Make Us A Democracy?
EMPHATICALLY ELECTIONS ARE NOT EQUALS DEMOCRACY! Elections are useful tools used by democracies to determine people’s choice. Gambia have maintained periodic elections throughout our independent history except the 2 years (1994-1996) after July 22, 1994 coup. Suffice to say the outcome of election(s) are therefore largely influenced by the capacities of voters, the infrastructural organization of the election and the environment within which such elections are conducted. None of those factors have materially changed in The Gambia. Elections hasn’t improved democracy/democratic dispensation in The Gambia. They were by designed means of claim of legitimacy rather than bringing out the through choices of our people.
Since January 19, 2017, the National Assembly and Local Government elections were held. These were what we did both under Jawara and Yahya. Under Jawara the elections were administered by Divisional Commissioners’/Returning Officers who were political appointees of Jawara. Under Yahya the so-called IEC was charged with all election. The Commissioners of this body were hired/fired by Yahya. Noticed that one is loosely decentralized and one centralized, yet the controller is the same, President of The Republic of The Gambia. Thus, the outcomes were synonymous. This government is so far incapable of even cosmetic changes to Yahya’s structures. At minimum Yahya was smart enough to immaterially twist election administration. The new government, our most experienced and the able cannot even offer cosmetic changes much more real changes. To expect a different outcome will be naïve at best.
Do These Elections Make Our Government Democratic?
We elected members of the National Assembly in April 2017. The role of this body in a divided democratic government is to make laws that will be implemented/enforce by the executive. Are our National Assembly law makers? No – our National Assembly do not make laws. They rubber-stamped laws written by the Executive – Yes or No. In fact, records show no bill ever voted down by our National Assembly throughout our 53-year of independent nationhood. Just because we have a structure and building called National Assembly doesn’t mean we have law-makers. This concern goes to the heart of Separation of Powers of a democratic government.
What’re The Costs/Effects Ratio of These Elections?
These elections come at enormous costs (directly/indirectly) to our treasury. Thus, as a matter of economic frugality, the benefits should always outweigh the financial outlays. One way to economically achieve that is to hold all or most of these elections at once. That is not possible with current method (use of marble) and would require both structural and method changes. That would require transformation to paper or cyber ballots which will at minimum require literate voters. Lot of work and time will be needed to get to that point from where we are.
Each election adds pool of public servants to the public payroll. These are direct overhead expenses on our treasury. Thus, we should think hard the value of these public servants to the tax payers and ensure that value-added outweigh the cost. Up to this point there are no functioning so-called Local Government. These elected bunch has practically no designated official function that are of much material value to the people. They’ve no place to go to work. They’ve no meaningful resources they manage/oversee. On and on! So, what do they do that we have to add these people to the public payroll? Assuming 500 people were added to public payroll by these elections with an average annual cost of D50,000/person; this is D25,000,000.00. With a National Tax Revenue under D10b/annum, the direct payroll bill of these elections is about 0.25% (a quarter of 1%). This maybe a minimal fraction but knowing that we’re continually running on deficit spending any fraction of overspending is burdensome. Our National Debt is about D55b – this is over 5x more than our annual national revenue.
The sovereign people have to know these facts and then make consequential decisions. If National Assembly will remain symbolic, then we can make good argument not to have one so we can save their costs. The same is true for the so-called Local Government operatives. Poor citizens shouldn’t be force to pay taxes just to go and pay wages on value-less public employees. After all we have to choose democracy or Banjul dictatorship. Currently we have Banjul dictatorship camouflaged with supposed democratic institution. VERY BAD! Those savings can either test the quality of water we drink or provide us electricity or construct public latrines at markets and pubic parks or buy us paracetamol for our sick/ill, etc. That to me give the tax payers some return than repeating the failed undemocratic processes of the past.
Do These Elections Make This Government Different From Predecessors?
Throughout our struggle the consensus view was we’ve learnt from the 22 years of Yahya and that the Dr. Barrow government will come up with concrete steps of changes that improve governance and democracy to create an enabling environment for socio-economic prosperity and quality of life. To the contrary the government haven’t come up with any material different from Yahya administration. The government have since purged people and replaced them with their favorites. That’s exactly what Yahya did. Yahya removed Antouman Gaye from Brikama Area Council and replaced him with his likes and nothing changed. Yahya has fired people from NAWEC and ends up appointing himself as the head and up to today we have no electricity. They’ve present a budget that’s even worse than anything Yahya presented in his 22 years. On and on! The point is repeating the same things with different personalities is no change.
To Conclude
STOP UDP BECOMING 3rd STATE-PARTY! It kills functioning democratic dispensation. It breeds. Ineffectiveness, arrogance and public corruption. These public vices are the single most important cause of poverty in The Gambia and restrictive civil liberties/freedoms.
All citizens have right to belong or choose the party of their choice. There is nothing inherently wrong to belong to UDP or this government. We hope what betters the nation inform these choices. Do not make these choices by simply following the crowd. We suggest exploring many sources to help make these choices so that we can leave behind a Gambia better than we inherited.
Used our history as a resource bank. We held our leaders as angels, prophets and/or some sort of super-humans just to learn they are stealing from our labor. They were lying to us. They’re greedy bunch. These should be causes of concern and motivation to demand and stand up for necessary democratic checks and balances.
Making UDP the 3rd State-party is not promoting democracy and will not better any citizens’ life. Instead the party will be fed at the expense of our nation. They will control reallocation and hence influence voter behavior.
Always remember Gambia will outlive UDP, Dr. Barrow, Ousainou Darboe and/or anyone of us. These men/women do not provide Gambia anything. They’re paid managers/servants out of public coffers. The resources under their supervision are paid by the taxes of the sovereign citizens of our land. We ought to hold them accountable to the management of our resources and not praise-sing them as some angel dropping food upon the children of Moses in Israel.
The goals of our struggle to ‘make Gambia a functioning institutional democracy’ should still be our primary task. We can’t/shouldn’t settle for the creation of another ‘Political Public Service Class’ that want to make a glittering money-making career rather than give back to once people.
I am intellectually curious enough to see logic in this narrative. I am not also interested in any way to have a state party.
But the question which was not answered in this polemics, is how was it possible that jammeh, whom many intellectuals at the time hinge their hope on to deliver a progressive country, strayed off-road? What has the intelligentsia behind jammeh achieved in ushering the noble ideals outlined in above piece? What have Babu Soli done to guide jammeh on a path of progressive politics anchored on strong institutions?
The Author is presenting his views of the political structure and culture of successive ruling party in our country. The familiar message is that politicians are imperfect beings, corruptible and they put self interest before national interest. All of them. Exactly what is the news here. I believe we all know this. Now, let’s talk about Yahya. He is a bit special. He is rumored to take particular pleasure in the pain and suffering of others. He loves to kill, rape and torture. Sure I was not there, but there is enough to wonder what kind of animal this man is. Of course if it’s true as you said that he was a honorable man and he helped develop Gambia, then he must return home to clear his “good name” no need to fear the truth, it will always set free. No need to run away from the real estate he help build. Right. Babu, Jammeh is accused of causing a lot of suffering by so many innocent people who have absolutely nothing to gain by making such accusations. Let’s go down the list and you tell me.
1. Yahya Jammeh treated patients with HIV/AIDS. ( Y or N )
2. Gambian young children- Students were executed during his regime. Y/N
3. A well known journalist was killed during his regime. Y/N
4. West-African immigrants disappeared during his regime. Y/N
5. 2 Gambian – American young businessmen disappeared. Y/N
Let’s just stop here. We will discuss the development accomplishments during his regime later. Like to get your take on those 5 horrific acts. Thank you Sir.
Dr Isatou Sarr,
Your presumption is baseless. President Jammeh is a farmer and he has returned to farming which is giving him high dividends in a country where farming was/is not taken seriously. His source of income is from the land and the numerous contacts worldwide. Don’t fool yourself and give baseless information to your admirers.
Babu Soli, it has been claimed that U R Dida Halake ….
R U infact Yahya Jammeh himself???????????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Come on JollofNews – do Babu Soli’s comments come from EG?????
Bazzi is a criminal.
Yahya is broke.
Jammeh’s circle of benevolence is disintegrating or
Jammeh will soon face justice.
What is baseless?
“Jammeh will soon face justice”
I have sent a “London Letter” on that Doc.
Dr Sarr,
It’s baseless because it’s not true. President Jammeh’s circle of benelovence, his income comes from his hard work. On the farm.
I am sorry Babu Soli: you have drag your head into this fight for wasting your time for Dr YAYA JAMMEH infact he can be a Dr in next minute a Dictator, he perfectly contained the title (D) with demon character.
All the argument you put up about the past parties misconducts are not serious than that of your boss. Some of them made a mistake but not bigger than your boss mistake. Once again we are in 21st century the old days for PPP and others parties not relevant any more, your boss single mistake weight more than their entire mistake mark this. Tafel.
Babu Soli am sorry but i don’t argue with Low Minded people and who defend lies, jammeh with his atrocities,rape Crimes,and misuse of state fun